Following on from their success in capturing
"Elena di Feltre" seven years
previously, Marco Polo made a welcome
return to Wexford last year to record
a far better known Mercadante opus,
"La Vestale". It is one of
a handful of the composer’s works recognisable
to the ‘average opera lover’. Premiered
at the San Carlo in 1840, it survived
in the Neapolitan theatres, albeit in
eight different performing versions,
for over thirty years.

It was a product, perhaps
the acme, of a fundamental re-think
by Mercadante in the mid-1830s. A sojourn
in Paris and exposure to French grand
opera, in particular Meyerbeer’s "Les
Huguenots", led the composer to
a complete re-appraisal of his style.
He later offered an explanation of his
new direction in correspondence with
his great friend Francisco Florimo,
librarian of the Naples Conservatoire:-

"I have continued
the revolution I began with "Il
Giuramento". Forms are varied,
vulgar cabalettas banished, crescendos
... out. A narrower tessitura, fewer
repeats, more originality in the
cadences; emphasis on the drama,
orchestra rich (but not so as to
swamp the voices in ensembles) ...
not much bass drum ... and a lot
less brass."

His disgruntlement
had in fact surfaced somewhat earlier.
When composing "Emma di Antiocchia"
in 1834 he had opined to Florimo:-

"(These) accursed
cabalettas ... it ruins everything
for me. The more I strive to make
them new, the more I’m aware the
results are old hat!"

By the time of "La
Vestale" he had conquered many
of these perceived deficiencies, and
succeeded in presenting a piece far
less reliant on individual ‘numbers’
to make its effect. Instead there is
a well crafted, through-composed structure,
with a cumulative effect to the drama.

The plot is set in
ancient Rome and sees Emilia become
a Vestal Virgin in the belief that her
love Decio has been killed in battle.
Alas he has not only survived but returns
in triumph. Decio is all for defying
convention but is persuaded to meet
Emilia clandestinely. This they do but
the distracted Emilia forgets her prime
duty and allows the sacred flame she
watches to go out – a sign of great
tragedy for Rome. Emilia is summarily
tried and sentenced to death. Publio,
Decio’s friend leads an appeal to the
Consul, Licinio (Decio’s father) but
he is unmoved. Emilia is entombed alive
despite Decio’s frantic efforts, and
with nothing left to live for he commits
suicide.

Dante Alcala provides
a fine tenor Decio, with some attractive
sap in his voice, whilst Doriana Milazzo
sings expressively as Emilia. Importantly
they blend well in duet, their scene
by the sacred flame near the opening
of Act 2 being a good example. Agate
Bienkowska, a Polish mezzo, is accomplished
as Giunia, negotiating her beautiful
prayer at the opening of the same act
with great feeling. Davide Damiani,
Danna Glaser and the rest of the cast
provide solid support. Paolo Arrivabeni
conducts with sensitivity and drive
when necessary, and the sound is admirably
clear given stage conditions. Certainly
it is an improvement over the BBC relay
in 2004.

The only rival recording
of which I have knowledge is a set from
Bongiovanni (GB2065/66-2), itself a
live performance from the Teatro Nazionale
Croato di Spalato in April 1987. Duna
Vejzovic (Karajan’s Senta on EMI, and
Kundry on DG) sings the title role,
with Gianfranco Cecchele as Decio. Unsurprisingly
in view of her career, Vejzovic sounds
heavier than Milazzo, making her Emilia
seem more commanding, and perhaps more
rounded. This is not for instance a
character one would envisage going meekly
to her death, although she does nevertheless
sing sensitively, scaling her voice
down when needed. As her partner Cecchele
has more metal to his tone, and is more
the conventional ‘heroic’ tenor than
Alcala.

Essentially I could
enjoy either set, but there are swings
and roundabouts. Bongiovanni has both
texts and translations in their booklet.
Marco Polo has neither, but offers a
good synopsis and the ability to access
the text (only) from the Naxos website.

However, the Italian
issue is lamed by an absurd side-break,
placing Giunia’s prayer at the end of
disc 1 thereby breaking Act 2 only five
or so minutes into the music. Also whilst
the sound from the Croatian theatre
is generally decent, unlike the Wexford
recording, it suffers from moments of
distortion - evident on both my systems.

Notwithstanding my
criticisms I have really enjoyed the
opportunity to hear "La Vestale"
again, and my appreciation of a fine
work has grown further. Despite some
reservations I would plump for the new
set as the better all-round experience.
If you enjoy Italian opera of this period
and are curious to hear an example of
the man once unfairly dismissed as "Verdi’s
foot-stool" you could do no better
than start here.

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